Get in on the act
Jay Chou's forays into film could repeat his success in the music industry, writes Edmund Lee


It is a surprising development, especially when you take into account the decidedly mixed reception the Taiwanese singersongwriter has met with since his acting debut in Initial D in 2005.
While his music releases have firmly established him as a giant in Chinese music – his 2006 album sold an impressive 3.6 million copies across Asia – Chou’s critics are ruthless about his acting skills or, as some put it, the complete lack of them.
Whether he’s taking part in high-profile projects like Zhang Yimou’s Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) and Michel Gondry’s The Green Hornet (2011), or embarrassing turkeys like Taiwanese director Chu Yenping’s Kung Fu Dunk (2008) and The Treasure Hunter (2009), Chou’s inexpressive demeanour has attracted scorn, and accusations he is playing versions of himself.
Chou doesn’t seem to be remotely bothered by the accusation.
“We’re about 90 per cent alike,” he acknowledges, when I ask him to compare his own personality with his character in The Rooftop. “Just as you can find the ‘Chou style’ in my music, I hope you can see it in my films too,” he says.